Are you planning on selling your home soon? If so, you’re probably wondering what steps you need to take to get it ready for the market? Here we will go over some basics on how to prepare your home for sale.
But what does it mean to get a home ready for the market? Ultimately, the answer depends on your house-selling goals. Some people want to sell their homes as quickly as possible. However, if you take your time to prep your house, you can attract more qualified buyers and make more money.
We want to help you make it happen. Keep reading for a quick guide on how to prepare your house in a way that increases its value, appeal, and ability to sell.
Hire an Experienced Real Estate Agent
First, we never recommend trying to sell a house on your own. While it’s true that you can save on realtor fees, most for-sale-by-owner properties sell for far less than homes sold using a real estate agent. Typically, it’s about a $25,000 difference.
Just as importantly, real estate agents bring a lot of valuable perks to the table. A real estate agent:
- Has high-value connections with other local professionals (agents, contractors, banks, appraisers, etc.)
- Has negotiation experience
- Knows the local real estate market
- Knows what buyers are looking for
- Knows how to show a home (private tours and open houses)
- Handles tours and incoming offers
- And more
It’s possible to sell your home by yourself, but it means doing ten times more work and, potentially, losing out on tens of thousands of dollars in revenue.
Declutter and Depersonalize
If at all possible, we recommend moving out of your home before putting it on the market. Moving out will completely depersonalize and declutter the home. Not only will this make it easier to make repairs and renovations, but it will also be easier to deep clean the house with nothing in it.
Furthermore, buyers touring an empty home can more readily visualize themselves living there. The home won’t be filled with someone else’s personal belongings, which can be awkward and offputting. Lastly, it will be much easy to keep your house “show-ready” for walkthroughs if you’re not living in it.
If you can’t move out of your house, declutter and depersonalize the home as much as possible. Borrow some storage space from a friend or rent a temporary storage unit.
The less clutter your home has, the more spacious, clean, and inviting it will feel. This will make a better impression on buyers.
Make the Necessary Repairs and Renovations
Learning how to prepare a home for sale means understanding what will make it easier to sell. For example, most buyers want a home that is move-in ready. They don’t want to invest in a home that needs a bunch of repairs, updates, or renovations.
As such, get a home inspection to uncover any damages or issues your home has. Decide what repairs or updates are necessary or possible based on your circumstances. Talk to your real estate agent and get their advice about what you should do.
Some issues have the potential to delay sales or send buyers running in the other direction. In some cases, lenders will refuse to back a buyer if the house in question has roof issues, foundation issues, water damage, mold, etc. Ultimately, it depends on the results of the inspection and the buyer’s lender.
Identify the Fair Market Value of Your Home
Once you have completed the repairs and renovations (or made a conscious decision to leave them), you can determine the value of your home.
Learning how to prepare a home for sale also means setting it for the right price. Selling your home for too much money can be next to impossible, especially in a competitive market.
Work with your real estate agent to conduct a comparative market analysis of the homes that have sold in your neighborhood in the last three months.
Additionally, you might need to get an official home appraisal from the bank. Some lenders require this to ensure they’re financing homes that are fairly priced.
Learn how to Show the Home
Now let’s talk about how to clean the home and stage it for walkthroughs. These steps are essential in learning how to prepare a home for sale because it affects the impression buyers have of the house.
Deep cleaning will make the home presentable. It will make it feel more inviting and safer for buyers. Dirt, messes, odors, and stains, on the other hand, are off-putting and have the potential to turn buyers away.
Additionally, consider having the home professionally staged. Studies show that staged homes sell 73% faster than unstaged homes.
However, if you don’t want to pay for a professional stager, talk to your realtor. They can provide you with effective home staging tips that will allow you to use your own furniture and save money.
Time To Market Your Home
Finally, if you want to attract buyers and sell your home quickly, you must learn how to get the word out about your home. Just because you know how to prepare your home for buyers, it doesn’t mean buyers will naturally be led to your house.
Working with a real estate agent, you’ll already have a leg up on the marketing game. They can sell your house using multiple tools, including their social media influence, and more.
However, there’s more that you can do to increase your home’s visibility. First, put up a “for sale” sign on the property to advertise your home to people driving by. It will also help people who saw your house online locate it more easily.
Then, use your own social media profiles to spread the word. You can post your home on your personal page and ask your friends and followers to share it. You can also use community pages to increase exposure.
Need Help Learning How to Prepare a Home for Sale?
As you can see, there’s a lot that goes into learning how to prepare a house for the market. While the road ahead may seem monumental, you don’t have to go through this process alone. There are tons of services available to you that can help you along the way.
Start by reaching out to a qualified and experienced real estate agent. They can provide crucial guidance and assistance with the entire home-selling process. Contact us today to get in touch with one of our agents and see how we they help you sell your home.
